With less than a month before the biggest day of his career, LenDale white is clearly intent on displaying a clear lack of intelligence when it comes to getting drafted as high as possible (and there for geting as much cash as possible).
While i'm the first to say 40 yard times are one of the most over-hyped and over-rated drills in the whole drafting process (i.e. just 'cos you run 4.3 in a straight line doesn't mean you can adjust to football travelling 40 yards in the air at a 40 degree angle to you, and just 'cos you run a 4.4 doesn't mean you can see the holes an o-line will create for you), it remains the bread and butter for a running back hoping to be taken in the first round of the draft. If White doesn't run between now and the draft are teams in need of a running back going to go solely on what they've seen from White's college game film (dominated by Mr Bush and Mr Leinhart)?, or are they going to talk players such as Deangelo Williams, Laurence Maroney, and Maurice Drew, all of whom worked out to positive feedback in the lead up to the draft?
White's camp have maintained he is hampered by a hamstring injury sustained at the combine, and setting down a time for the 40 with a hamstring injury would be more harmful to White than not running at all. Fair point, but the fact remains that White failed to put down a time at the combine and the clock is ticking down to the draft at the end of April.
If White was injured as reported, would it have not been better to not attempt anything if you're obviously not in shape (either due to injury or a little excess living). White managed 15 reps of the 225lb bech press as a power back, while Reggie Bush managed 24 as a "speed back". This type of result could inadvertantly hurt White more than anything.
Its clear to see from his college days that LenDale White is a player. A big bodied back, with an adequate skill set who has played in a pro-style offense throughout his college career. What's also emerging is Mr White may be a turd, someone who believes they don't have to earn their way in the pro game as they enjoyed success in college. But as Texans GM Charley Casserly said "If you're a team, how do you take a running back who doesn't runa 40-yard dash? Indeed...
I think in the current circumstances White will still go back end of R1, early R2 as he has proven himself too much to slide any lower than pick 40 overall. But, if he were in shape he's no doubt top 15 material. He's gotta run that 40 between now and the draft..
I couldn't agree more! I don't know who's leading this kid or working with him, but they are blowing a good chance here. He's a solid player--and back in January I said in a couple of my blog entries that he'd make a better long term pro than Bush (I was envisioning Jerome Bettis, though, not an actual Bus.) Good post!
Hey thanks Moore, but you can't put white in jerome's category. From looking at his game film i always thought he was faster than the bus ever was. But if the scouts don't have any 40 times to go by, he may as well be as slow as jerome circa 2005! I don't know enough about white but i've heard there are concens about his character and maturity, and this may be a prime example of those concerns.
if teams can get over VY's wonderlicker score, they'll get over white not running the 40. what they might not get over, is some of the other things i've heard about him over the past few weeks. just because i'm a conspiracy theorist at heart, i'll toss this idea out there as some food for thought. you dont suppose he already has a deal with somebody, and is just slacking off to ensure he's still on the board when that team's selection comes up? not to accuse any teams, but with indy needing someone to fill james' shoes, maybe he's just slacking in the hopes he'll get to step into yet another juggernaut of an offense, like he was part of at USC.
Great point Cuz, its also appeared on the NFL network today that a team selecting in the "mid-teens" has an understanding with White that they'll take him if he's there (Denver most probably). I can't believe that this kind of thing would be allowed to happen, but then again, how can you stop it...?
just another way of a draft-eligible player picking the team, rather than the team picking the player. eli manning, or his brother peyton and papa archie, did it a few years back very openly, so perhaps white is trying to maneuver himself into a sweet situation without the media frenzy. it wouldnt surprise me 1 bit, but it should make every guy who strives to move up in the draft a little bit pi$$ed off every time a guy tip toes his way into the perfect nfl system.
TT - When you are ready to make your pick at #2 for the Saints my new page is up. Just put it in the comments section.
On the subject of White, he succeeded in the very best of circumstances at USC. Bill Walsh told one of his former players (who relayed it on local radio here) that all 11 starters for the Trojans this season on offense are NFL caliber players. He is right.
They have a top 10 tackle, guard who will go day 1, #1 overall RB/WR drawing attention, Heisman QB, 2nd round NFL TE and great WRs around him. Who WOULDN'T do well? He should be working his #### off to prove he deserves to be drafted and isn't a product of that system & environment.
His laziness and arrogance will land him on a better team so maybe that is his plan.
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